Method of making hose



United States METHOD or MAKING HOSE Fred Thomas Roberts and Robert E.Roberts, Wilton, Conn.

Application April 4, 1956, Serial No. 576,055

6 Claims. (Cl. lit-56) This invention relates to flexible hose and moreparticularly to molded flexible hose having a helically corrugated bodyprovided with a reenforcing means secured in the troughs of thecorrugations of the body, and to the method of making the same.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a hose constructionin which a helical reentorcing means is disposed in the troughs of thebody to control the expansion and compression of the hose, yetpermitting the crest portions of the corrugations to be freely flexed inthe elongation and contraction of the hose.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel method ofmaking the hose whereby the hose can be simply and accurately formed.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a hose having anovel attaching portion provided with a clamp means whereby the hose canbe readily connected to a conduit or the like.

A feature of the invention resides in the molding of the clampingstructure into the body of the attaching portion of the hose while inexpanded relation and which when contractedto normal size urges theattaching portion into sealing relation with a connector to which the.hose is to be connected.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thespecification and claims when con- .sidered in connection with thedrawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a mold with the mandrel and hose body positioned thereinprior to the molding operation.

Fig. 2 shows the hose in expanded position in which it is molded to itsfinal form, Fig. 2 also showing the con struction of the mold andmandrel when multiple sections are to be formed thereon.

Fig. 3 shows a transverse section of the fluted portion of the mandrelwith the rubber body contracted thereagainst.

Fig. 4 shows a fragmentary view of the covered reenforcing member.

Fig. 5 shows a side view of the clamp member.

Fig. 6 shows an end view of the clamp member.

Fig. 7 shows a sectional view of the mold taken along line 7-7 of Fig.1, showing the molding of the attaching portion with the clamp inexpanded relation.

In carrying out the present invention a tube of elastomeric material(such as rubber-natural or syntheticor thermoplastic resins which may bemolded under heat and pressure, for example, polyethylene, polyarni-des,vinyl polymers, copolymers and the like, the particular requirement ofthe hose determining the composition thereof) to form the body it) ofthe hose is inserted over a mandrel 11 having at each end thereof acylindrical portion 12 adapted to fit within the bore and of such alength as to form the attaching portion for the hose.

In the herein illustrated form of the invention, the remainder of themandrel between the cylindrical portions is longitudinally fluted asshown at 13 in Figs. 1 and 3, with the flutes having grooves 14 in thebottom thereof communicating by a passage 15 with a bore 16 in the end2,779,976 Patented Feb. 5, 1957 of the mandrel. After the tube isinserted over the mandrel, suction is applied to the bore 16 from asuitable line 17 connected to the bore which draws the body 10 intoengagement with the surface of the flutes of the mandrel as shown inFig. 4. This securely holds the material in place and permits themandrel and body to be inserted in a helical reenforcing member 18 whichextends along the body between the attaching portions.

in the preferred form of the invention the helical reenforcing membercomprises a helical spring Wire 19 having an elastomeric cover 20thereon as shown in Fig. 4. The cover can be formed by dipping,spraying, or by covering it with sheet material as desired. The ends131: of the reenforcing member are secured by tape 21 tothe body at apoint overlying the end of the cylindrical portion of the mandrel forforming the attaching portion of the hose. The suction is removed andthe elastomeric body permitted to return to its normal position in whichit engages the inner surface of the spaced intermediate convolutions ofthe reenforcing member, as shown in Fig. l, and to properly positionthem therealong. A layer 22 of elastomeric material is then providedaround the end portion of the body so as to form a heavy attachingportion for the hose. The mandrel is then inserted in a two-part mold235, 24- having a cavity 25 therein provided on its outer wall with ahelical groove 26. The mandrel has a groove 27 therearound cooperatingwith flanges 28 on the mold to properly locate the mandrel in positionin which the intermediate coils of the reenforcing member are positionedbetween the grooves as shown in Fig. l. Fluid pressure is then appliedto the bore 16 and along the fluted section of the mandrel to act on theinner surface of the body to force the elastomeric material outwardlyand extend it into the grooves to form the corrugations therein and tosecure it to the reenforcing member so that the convolutions of thereenforcing member 18 are disposed in the troughs of the corrugationswhile the crests are free of any stiffness. The mold is heated and theelastomeric material vulcanized or set in the corrugated form of themold so as to produce the elastomeric hose having reenforcing means inthe trough of the corrugations and unreenforced, readily flexible crestsof the corrugation to permit elongation and manipulation of the hose.

While in some, circumstances where a thin wall is required, it may bedesired to further reenforce the light wall by providing stockinet orthe like stretchable material which is embededd in the body 10, the bodyis herein illustrated as formed only of elastomeric material and theterm as used herein includes construction where the body is made solelyof elastomeric material or where it includes a reenforcement as ofstockinet.

Under some circumstances, it may be desired to mold a plurality of hoseon a single elongate mandrel. When this is the case, the elongatemandrel is provided with cylindrical sleeves 29, as shown in Fig. 2,which are spaced along the mandrel at the points where it is desired toform the attaching portions of adjacent hose sections. After the hosehas been completed, the sections are severed at the midpoint of each ofthe intermediate attaching portions.

It is at present preferred to provide the hose with a novel clampingmeans formed integrally with the attaching portion which will provide aclamping action for the panded from the contracted position shown indash lines in Fig. 5 to the expanded position as shown in full lines bymoving the arms 31a, 32a toward the arms 31b, 3212. If desired, theouter arms can be provided with notches 33 on their inner surfaces toengage the inner arms 31a, 32a and hold them in the expanded position ofFig. 5. The clamp is incorporated into the hose by being positioned,While in expanded condition, around the body overlying the cylindricalportion of the mandrel as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 7. The elastomericlayer is wrapped over and around the clamp in such a manner that thearms 31a, 32a, 31b and 3212 project outwardly beyond the surface of theattaching portion so that they can be grasped in order to manipulate theclamp.

If desired, the clamp can be provided with a coating of talc or othermaterial, or the body and layer of elastomeric material can be providedwith polyethylene or other material which will prevent adhesion of theelastomeric material to the metal of the clip so that the clip is, inefiect, positioned in a pocket in the attaching pornon.

As shown in Pig. 7, a suitable core 34 is positioned in the mold betweenthe arms to prevent rubber from flowing between.

'After the hose is molded and removed from the mold, the inner arms arereleased from the notches so that the clamp contracts and causes theattaching portion, when in telescoping relation, to grip the connector.When it is desired to slip the hose into telescoping relation with theconnector, the two arms are moved together to expand the clamp and theattaching portion, thus facilitating the insertion of the same over theconnector. Thereafter, the arms are released from the notches and theclamp automatically contracts the attaching portion into engagement withthe connector. By the use of the pair of spring members having anopposite pitch, it has been found that a better clamping action isachieved because the clamp not only presses the material of the sleeveunder the coils against the connector, but also compacts it between theconvolutions as well so as to force it against the connector to producea more effective seal.

It will be seen, therefore, that the present invention provides a novelmolded hose construction having a spirally corrugated body provided witha reenforcement in the troughs in the spiral corrugations and in whichthe crests of the corrugations are an expanded elastomer without havinga reenforcement therein to provide a soft, flexible construction whichreadily permits manipulation of the hose. Further, the hose is providedwith a novel clamping arrangement by which the attaching portions of thehose can be quickly moved into telescopic relation with a connector andcan be released to clamp the attaching portion to the connector.

Variations and modifications may be made .within the scope of the claimsand portions of the improvements may be used without others.

We claim:

l. The method of making a reenforced corrugated hose comprising thesteps of positioning a tubular hose body of elastomcric material on amandrel having cylindrical portions at the ends thereof equal to theinternal diameter of the body and adapted to form the attaching portionof the hose, inserting the mandrel and elastomeric body into a helicalreenforcing member with the reenforcement extending between thecylindrical portions of the mandrel and having the end coils thereofsecured to the body overlying the end of the cylindrical portion, thecoils of the reenforcing member having an internal diameter equal to theouter diameter of the body, placing the mandrel having the body andrcenforcing member thereon in a grooved molding cavity with theintermediate coils of the reenforcing member disposed between thegrooves, applying fluid pressure to the in terior of the hose to causethe hose to expand and engage the reenforcing member and the surface ofthe mold, and

applying heat to the mold and causing the body to be secured to thereenforcing member and the body to retain the grooved shape impartedthereto by the grooves of the mold cavity.

2. The method of making a reenforced corrugated hose comprising thesteps of positioning on a mandrel having a longitudinally fluted portionof reduced diameter hose body of resilient elastomeric material having adiameter at least equal to the internal diameter of a helical,elastomeric covered, reenforcing member adapted to be disposed in thetroughs of the corrugations of said body, applying suction to theinterior of the body overlying the fluted portion of the mandrel andcontracting the body into engagement with the fluted surface thereof,inserting the mandrel and contracted body within the recnforcing member,releasing the suction on the body, the resiliency of the body causingthe body to return to normal position and engage and hold the coils ofthe helical reenforcing member in predetermined spaced relation thereon,placing the mandrel having the body and rcenforcing member thereon in amolding cavity having a helical groove in the walls thereof with thespaced coils of the reenforcing member disposed between the grooves,applying fluid pressure to the interior of the hose to cause the hose toexpand outwardly and engage the reenforcing member and the surface ofthe mold, and applying heat to the mold and causing the body to adhereto the reenforcing member and the body to retain the grooved shapeimparted thereto by the grooves of the mold cavity.

3. The method of making a hose comprising the steps of positioning atubular hose body of elastomeric material on a mandrel havingcylindrical portions at the ends thereof and adapted to form theattaching portion of the hose, expanding coiled spring clampsterminating, in projecting arms and placing the expanded clamps aroundeach end of the body overlying the cylindrical portions 'of the mandrel,applying a layer of elastomeric material around the body having theclamp thereon overlying the cylindrical portions of the mandrel with theprojecting arms extending therefrom, the clamp being maintained inexpanded condition, placing the mandrel having the hose andclampsthereon into a mold and molding the hose, removing the hose from themold and returning the clamp to unexpanded relation wherein theattaching por tion of the body within the coils of the clamp iscompressed.

4. The method making hose comprising the steps of positioning a tubularhose body of elastomeric material on a mandrel having cylindricalportions at the ends thereof and adanted to form the attaching portionof the hose, expanding coiled spring clamps terminating in projectingarms, treating said clamp to render the clamps nonadherent to theelastomeric material, placing the expanded clamps around each end of thebody overlying the cylindrical portions of the mandrel, applying a layerof elastomeric material around the body and clamp overlying thecylindrical portions of the mandrel with the projecting arms extendingtherefrom, the clamp being maintained in expanded condition, placing themandrel having the hose and clamps thereon into a mold and'molding thehose, removing the hose from the mold and returning the unadhered clampto unexpandcd relation wherein the body within the coils of the clamp iscompressed.

5. The method of making a reenforccd corrugated hose comprising thesteps of positioni a tubular hose body of elastomeric material on amandrel having cylindrical portions at the ends thereof coual to theinternal diameter of the body and adapted to form the attaching portionof the hose, inserting the mandrel and elastcmeric body into anelastomeric covered, helical reenforcing member with the reenforcementextending between the cylindrical portions of the mandrel and having theend coils there- .of secured to the body overlying the end of thecylindrical portion, the coils of which have an internal diameter equalarmors to the outer diameter or the body, expanding coiled spring clampsterminating in projecting arms and placing the expanded clamps aroundeach end of the body overlying the cylindrical portions of the mandrel,applying a layer of elastomeric material around the body and clamp overlying the cylindrical portions of the mandrel with the projecting armsextending therefrom, the clamp being maintained in expanded condition,placing the mandrel having the body, clamps and reenforcing memberthereon in a grooved molding cavity with the intermediate coils of therecnforcing member disposed between the grooves, applying fluid pressureto the interior of the hose to cause the hose to expand and engage thereenforcing member and the surface of the mold, applying heat to themold and causing the body to adhere to the reenforcing memher and thebody to retain the grooved shape imparted thereto by the grooves of themold cavity, and. removing the hose and returning the clamp tounexpanded relation wherein the body Within the coils of the clamp iscompressed.

6. The method of making a hose comprising the steps of positioning atubular hose body of elastomeric material on a mandrel havingcylindrical portions at the ends thereof and adapted to form theattaching portion of the hose, moving projecting arms of expansible andcontractible clamps to expand said clamps, placing the expanded clampsaround each end of the body overlying the cylindrical portions of themandrel, applying a layer of elastomeric material around the body havingthe clamp thereon overlying the cylindrical portions of the mandrel withthe projecting arms extending therefrom, the clamp being maintained inexpanded condition, placing the mandrel having the hose and clampsthereon into a mold and molding the hose, removing the hose from themold and returning the clamp to unexpanded relation wherein theattaching portion of the body Within the clamp is compressed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,122,925 Bins a- July 5, 1938 2,147,963 Casciotti Feb. 21, 19392,248,898 Ross et a1 July 8, 1941 2,315,225 Rogers Mar. 30, 19432,396,059 Roberts Mar. 5, 1946 2,472,172 Owens June 7, 1949 2,570,259McKinley Oct. 9, 1951 2,616,129 Burton et a1 Nov. 4, 1952 2,629,908 KeckMar. 3, 1953 2,695,231 Seck Nov. 30, 1954 2,713,381 Seek July 19, 19552,713,885 McKinley July 26, 1955 2,741,267 McKinley Apr. 10, 1956FOREIGN PATENTS 86,062 Switzerland Aug. 2, 1920

